By Warren Kozireski —
A few decades ago, most college hockey players hailed from the “M” states of Minnesota, Michigan and Massachusetts. But New York has quickly emerged on par and, as of the rosters posted in early November,78 players on NCAA Division men’s college hockey rosters list a New York locale as their hometown.
You can add 211 on Division III rosters excluding the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC), which starts their season later than others, and you have 289 Empire State natives playing college hockey this season.
Six more dot the rosters of Ontario Hockey League franchises, 29 more are currently developing in the United State Hockey League (USHL) and 37 are in the North American Hockey League (NAHL) for a total of an astounding 361 showing others how to play hockey the New York way.
Among the Division I colleges Boston University and Mercyhurst lead the pack with five from New York including four Terriers just selected in this past June’s National Hockey League Entry Draft in Case McCarthy (Clarence Center), Trevor Zegras (Bedford), Robert Mastrosimone (East Islip) and Domenick Fensore (Thornwood) plus junior defenseman David Farrance (Victor).
Mercyhurst hails Brendan Riley (West Point), Michael Bevilaqua (Hamburg), James Anderson (Kings Park), Justin Cmunt (East Amherst) and Jonny Lazarus (Syosset).
Brockport, Plattsburgh, Buffalo State, Potsdam, Nazareth and Canton sport New Yorkers in double-digits with the first two leading the way with 11 each and the rest with ten each on their roster.
Among the junior ranks, Jamestown and New Jersey in the NAHL feature five New Yorkers each with the Rebels featuring Jason Ruszkowski (South Setauket), Mike Mercurio (New Hartford), Jack Moore (Queensbury), Reed Stack (Suffern) and Jack Buerger (Wheatfield) while the Titans sport Josef Glamos (Baldwinsville), Chris Garbe (Miller Place), Kyler Head (Malone), Daniel Dimon (Elmira) and Tyler Nasca (Wheatfield).
Of the 29 New Yorkers currently in the USHL, five are with the RoughRiders in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in Michael Posma (Pomona), Nate Hanley (Rocky Point), Jordan Tonelli (Armonk), Jack O’Leary (St. James) and Michael Suda (Cheektowaga).
There are four players from New York on Team USA this season including Penn State commit Daniyal Dzhaniyev (Brooklyn), Boston University bound Luke Tuch (Baldwinsville), Boston College to-be freshman Eamon Powel (Marcellus) and U-17 roster and 2021-22 Boston College commit Jeremy Wilmer (Rockville Centre).
